22 of the Messiest & Most Intense Celebrity Custody Battles

Olivia Wilde & Jason Sudeikis

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis first met at an SNL wrap party back in 2011, and started dating a few months after. They got engaged in 2012, later welcoming two children named Otis, born in April 20, 2014, and Daisy, born in Oct. 11, 2016. They split up in 2020 after cheating allegations came out against Wilde, with insiders claiming she cheated on Sudeikis with her former co-star Harry Styles.

After their split, Sudeikis served Wilde custody papers in April 2022 at CinemaCon while she was presenting her film Don’t Worry Darling. It became a public spectacle, and their battle became more public than ever before. There was a lot of back and forth for a year until they agreed to co-parenting in late 2023.

Bethenny Frankel & Jason Hoppy

Back in 2008, Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy met New York City bar called Tenjune, and just two years later, they married. Their daughter Bryn was born on  May 8, 2010. While Frankel and Hoppy divorced in 2013, and initially agreed for joint custody, it turned even more sour very, very quickly.

In 2017, Hoppy was arrested for allegedly threatening Bethenny at Bryn’s school, per RealityTea.

Then, in 2018, Hoppy tried to get sole custody by claiming that Frankel was an unfit parent because her boyfriend, Dennis Shields, died from an alleged Oxycodone overdose.

Then, in 2019, Frankel sued for sole custody, which she was granted in 2020, and she didn’t have to pay Hoppy any child support.

Kevin Federline & Britney Spears

Kevin Federline and Britney Spears were married from 2004 to 2007. For those who don’t know, Spears and Federline welcomed two children named Sean Preston, born in Sept 2005, and Jayden James, born in Sept 2006.

In 2006, Spears filed for divorce and asked for custody of their two sons. Federline asked for the same thing a day later.

A year later, Federline was granted sole physical custody of their sons. Then, in 2008, police were called to Spears’ home because she was afraid she’d never see her sons again, so she refused to give Federline their sons, per her memoir The Woman in Me.

Because of this incident, Federline was “awarded sole legal custody and sole physical custody of the minor children,” per People, and would receive $20,000 per month from Spears in child support.

Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry

Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry were together from 2006 to 2010 after meeting on the set of a photoshoot in 2005. They welcomed their daughter, Nahla, in March 2008. When they officially split in 2010, Berry wanted to relocate to France with their daughter alongside her then-fiancé, Olivier Martinez.

In Thanksgiving 2012, Aubry and Martinez got into a physical fight after the issue. Per UsMagazine, Aubry was hospitalized after the issue, allegedly suffering from a broken rib, contusions on his face and a possible head injury. Aubry was then arrested for battery, a misdemeanor charge.

A judge shut down her move to France, and Berry got a protective order from Aubry until 2012. Then, in 2014, she was ordered to pay Aubry $16,000 a month in child support. But, per People, she tried to reduce that to around $4,000 in 2020. 

Olivier Martinez & Halle Berry

Speaking of Olivier Martinez, he and Halle Berry also got into an ugly custody battle. But before that, the pair met and started dating in 2010 while filming Dark Tide in South Africa. They got married in 2013, and divorced in 2016. But in Oct 2013, they did welcome a son together named Maceo. 

They had an eight-year custody battle that was seemingly settled in 2023. Berry was ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support, and 4.3 percent of any income she receives above $2 million, per ET Canada. 

However, throughout 2024, there has been a back and forth between the two with their custody battle, with Berry accusing him of poor parenting practices. 

Oksana Grigorieva & Mel Gibson

Oksana Grigorieva and Mel Gibson were together from 2009 to 2010, welcoming their daughter Lucia on Oct 30, 2009. 

In June 2020, both of them filed restraining orders against one another. Soon after, Grigorieva accused Gibson of domestic violence, to which he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge, per the NYT. The following year, Gibson and Grigorieva settled. She was awarded, $750,000, joint legal custody, and a house in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Heidi Klum & Seal

Heidi Klum and Seal met back in 2004, and started dating soon after. That same year, they got engaged and married on May 2005. They welcomed three children named Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu, born in 2005, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo, born in 2006, and Lou Sulola, born in 2009. He also adopted her daughter Leni, born in 2004.

Sadly, they divorced in 2012, but it was all amicable. It all seemed fine until 2020, when news of a custody dispute came to the public eye.

Klum wanted to take the four children with her to Germany to film the next season of Germany’s Next Top Model, but Seal didn’t want that to happen. This started a major dispute, and per HollywoodLife, Klum claimed Seal wasn’t around much with their kids. It ended with Seal being granted “extended time” with their children before and after their European trip, per People.

Charlie Sheen & Brooke Mueller

Brooke Mueller and Charlie Sheen originally met back in 2006 through mutual pal Rebecca Gayheart. They got engaged the following year, and married in May 20, 2008. They welcomed twins Bob and Max in March 2009.

Months after the arrival of their children, Sheen was arrest on domestic violence suspicion, and Mueller obtained a restraining order from him, per BBC.

They endured a custody battle that lasted until 2011, which granted Mueller $55,000 per month in child support from Sheen, per TV Guide.

Camille Grammer & Kelsey Grammer

Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer met back in 1996. they married the following year, and welcomed two children named Mason, born on Oct 2001, and Jude, born on Aug 2004, via surrogacy.

However, in 2010, Camille filed for divorce, wanting sole custody of their two sons. Per Reality Tea, this started an over decade-long custody battle, where Kelsey would only talk to her via their attorneys. (Around the same time, it came out he was having an affair.)

Back in 2019, the Blast reported that Kelsey and Camille split up costs for son Jude’s prep school fees. Camille’s half of tuition was around $32,000, and Kelsey paid for school expenses. 

And in 2020, Camille revealed that things were still very contentious between the exes, so much so that Kelsey allegedly banned their kids from saying her name in his home, per People.

Christie Brinkley & Peter Cook

Supermodel Christy Brinkley and Peter Cook met in 1979 when they were both modeling. However, they didn’t start dating until 1996. They married in Sept 1996, and welcomed a daughter named Sailor, born in July 1998. They divorced in 2008.

Their custody battle lasted until 2012, when they finally came to a settlement. Brinkley accused Cook of “email bullying, verbal and emotional abuse,” amid their battle, per a Facebook post. They continually made jabs at one another in the public eye, with Cook calling Brinkley a “black hole” and Brinkley accusing him of being a serial cheater. 

Brinkley also accused Cook of not paying child support, but it all came to a halt in 2012, per CBS.

Ciara & Future

Ciara and Future started dating in 2013, and that same year, they got engaged. They welcomed their son, Future, in May 2014, but broke up four months later. 

Their custody battle raged on for years until 2017. But per TMZ, they agreed to joint custody, but Ciara will spend a majority of time due to Future’s schedule. However, in 2023, it was clear there was still bad blood. 

During an interview with The Shade Room’s Thembi Mawema, Mawema asked “What is co-parenting like for you guys?” Ciara responded by laughing for 15 seconds straight. Hmm, how telling!

Pamela Anderson & Tommy Lee

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee married on Feb 19, 1995, after dating each other for only four days. (Contrary to popular belief, they actually met two months prior a ta NYE party). They welcomed two sons named Brandon Thomas, born in 1996, and Dylan Jagger, born in 1997.

After the birth of their first child, Anderson filed for divorce, but the pair reconciled the following month in Dec 1996. Then, in Feb 1998, Lee was arrested in a domestic dispute, later being charged with charged with felony spousal abuse and child abuse. Anderson filed for divorce again in 1998, asking for full custody, and Lee was sentenced to six months in jail, per People. They would get back together in later years, and call it off again, but before any of that, let’s talk about the custody battle. 

After Anderson filed for divorce in 1998, she did initially ask for full custody, but later agreed to share custody. However, Lee filed for sole custody in 2000, and then there was a harsh back and forth. But, per Entertainment Weekly, they reached a settlement in 2003, with Anderson getting main custody.

However, they co-parented, and Anderson even talked about how well they co-parent. She told People, “There’s a connection there that will always be. We’re good friends, we’re getting better at co-parenting our kids. He’s such a supporter of mine and I’m really happy we’re on such great terms.”

Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown first met at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, and started dating soon after. They married in 1992, and welcomed a daughter named Bobbi Kristina Brown, born in March 1993. They later divorced in 2007; after that, Houston was awarded physical and legal custody of Bobbi Kristina, with Brown having a “reasonable right of visitation,” per Today. 

Brown fought back and tried to get custody of their daughter, but it was denied because “there were no appearances or phone calls from Mr. Brown today for a scheduled hearing,” per People. 

Alec Baldwin & Kim Basinger

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger met on the set of The Marrying Man in 1990. They married on Aug 19, 1993, and welcomed their daughter Ireland in 1995. They were together until 2000, and their divorce was finalized in 2002.

Their custody battle lasted for four years, with Baldwin making headlines for his disturbing, screaming voicemail to a young Ireland in 2007. A judge temporarily barred him from seeing Ireland, per Nicki Swift. 

Then, in 2008, Baldwin alleged that the custody battle lasted even longer and that Basinger spent more than $1.5 million to deny him parental access, per his memoir A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce.

Woody Allen & Mia Farrow

Okay, so … this one is a lot to take in. Woody Allen and Mia Farrow started dating in 1980, and dated until 1992. They welcomed a son named Satchel “Ronan” Farrow in Dec 1987, and then Allen adopted Farrow’s children, Dylan and Moses.

But then, Farrow discovered that Allen had nude photos of her then-21-year-old adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Along with that, Dylan alleged that Allen molested her, per Vox. Then, Allen had the gall to file suit against Farrow for custody of their three children.

In 1993, Farrow was awarded sole custody of their three children, per the NYT. (To this day, Allen is still with Previn. They adopted two children together and married in 1997. So, erm … yeah.)

Sophie Turner & Joe Jonas

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas started dating in 2016, and later married in 2019. They welcomed two daughters named Willa and Delphine. However, they started divorce proceedings in Aug 2023.

Ever since then, there’s been an intense custody battle. Many alleged that Jonas was trying to pit the media against Turner, and then they fought over where to raise their daughters. On Sept 2023, Turner demanded their children return to England with her, but Jonas filed a petition against it. Per Vulture, they did come to an agreement with them splitting their time in the US and UK back in Oct 2023 til Jan 2024. 

Their divorce isn’t over, and news has been popping up left and right. So this may not be over yet. 

Sherri Shepherd & Lamar Sally

Sherri Shepherd and Lamar Sally got engaged in 2010, marrying the following year. However, they divorced in 2014. But in August of that year, they welcomed a son named Lamar via surrogacy. And this is where the custody battle comes into play. 

Shepherd tried to challenge the surrogacy contract since a donor egg was used, claiming she had no biological connection to Lamar. Despite trying to get her name removed, it was to no avail, and she was seen as responsible for the child, and pay $4,100 a month in child support. When he turns 13, however, the monthly amount will increase to $4,600, per BET.

Jeannie Mai & Jeezy

Jeannie Mai and Jeezy started dating in 2019. They married in 2021, welcoming daughter Monaco in January of the next year. However, Jeezy filed for divorce from Mai in Sept 2023, seeking joint legal custody. While their divorce was finalized in June 2024, the custody battle is still going on. 

Not much is known about their settlement, but what we do know is that the custody battle was messy. 

In April 2024, Jeezy backtracked on his request for full custody, which he filed earlier that month. Along with that, Jeezy accused Mai of intentionally trying to keep him away from Monaco, allegedly due to him owning firearms, and she even blocked his number, per Page Six. Mai denied these allegations. 

Before that, Mai alleged multiple things, such as his inability “to appropriately parent a small child,” as well as claiming he verbally and physically assaulted Mai. Per LA Times, he denied this as well. 

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were together from 2005 to 2014, and then were married from 2014 til 2016 when Jolie filed for divorce. They shared six children: Maddox Jolie, born in Aug 2001; Pax Jolie, born in Nov 2003; Zahara Jolie, born in Jan 2005; Shiloh Jolie, born in May 2006; and twins Knox and Vivienne Jolie, born in July 2008. 

Jolie and Pitt have one of the messiest divorce and custody battles in Hollywood, but their custody battle has been mostly private. However, we do know that, per CBS, that Jolie got the judge thrown out after he didn’t “sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys.” Along with that, almost all of her children have removed “Pitt” from their last names, and Pax accused Pitt of physical violence towards his siblings and Jolie, per Newsweek. 

In 2021, Pitt was granted joint custody, per BBC, but it seems as though their children are solely with Jolie to this day. As of Dec 2024, the case is ongoing. 

Grimes & Elon Musk

Grimes and Musk dated back in 2018, and had an on-again, off-again relationship until 2022. They welcomed three children together: a son named X Æ A-Xii (better known as X), born in May 2020, a daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, born in Dec 2021, and another son named Techno Mechanicus, whom they all welcomed via surrogacy.

As we said, they split for good in 2022. However, in Sept 2023, Musk filed a custody lawsuit against Grimes, and later that month, Grimes filed a countersuit.

“Tell Shivon [Zilis] to unblock me and tell Elon to let me see my son or plz respond to my lawyer,” Grimes wrote in a since-deleted tweet, afterward her parental rights petition was made public, per Page Six. She continually served child custody papers to Musk more than a dozen times, all of which he evaded. 

In Nov 2024, per Business Insider, their dispute was closed; no further details were given, however.

Usher Raymond & Tameka Foster

Usher Raymond and Tameka Foster started dating in 2005 after knowing each other for years prior. They married in 2007, and later welcomed two children together named Usher “Cinco,” born in Nov 2007, and Naviyd Ely, born in Dec 2008.

Usher filed for divorce in June 2009, and thus, an intense custody battle occurred. From 2009 to 2012, they fought one another in court.

Foster alleged that Usher had a poor parenting style, was an absentee father, and accused him of sleeping with the nanny. As for Usher, he accused Foster had “spit at and tried to fight his girlfriend during one visit” and punched him, per ABC.

On Aug 24, 2012, a judge awarded Usher primary custody of his two sons.

Ant Anstead & Christina Hall

Christina Hall and Ant Anstead married in 2018 after a year together. They welcomed a son named Hudson in 2019, but split in Sept 2020.

Their contentious custody battle lasted for two years. Anstead filed a request for full custody in April 2022, claiming that Hall didn’t spend much time with their son Hudson, and was concerned when he came home with a bad sunburn. Hall hit back at the allegations, and thus, a back-and-forth continued.

However, in late 2022, they did come to an agreement on joint legal and physical custody.